BACOLOD City – A total of 6,000 hectares of farmland are eyed to be distributed among land reform beneficiaries in northern Negros Occidental this year.
The farmlands are under Department of Agrarian Reform-Negros Occidental I, which covers areas from Bacolod City to San Carlos City.
As of Friday, about 15 percent – or 895 hectares – of the 6,000 hectares have already been distributed.
Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Teresita Mabunay said the remaining areas up for distribution this year have been issued notices of coverage (NOCs).
The 6,000 hectares form part of the 54,000 hectares in balance landholdings for coverage of DAR-Negros Occidental I.
Negros Occidental has the biggest land reform area in the country with 187,677 hectares.
Of the total land area, 72,000 hectares have already been distributed as of May 31 this year.
A total of 52,000 beneficiaries are now holders of certificates of land ownership award.
Meanwhile, DAR-Negros Occidental II – which covers Bago City to Hinoba-an town – has distributed a total of 115,677 hectares to 73,635 beneficiaries.
“The agency needs more time, more years to finish it (distribution),” said Mabunay, adding that they are currently validating the NOCs for the remaining 54,000-hectare balance for possible errors.
Mabunay added that they are hoping for a law to be passed, authorizing the DAR to resume the issuance of NOCs after the June 2014 deadline.
The land reform program did not end in 2014, she said, only the issuance of NOCs. (With a report from PNA/PN)
